Canadian and Mex Immigrant

Boston Police Strike

The police were not given a raise since the beginning of WWI and were not allowed to unionize. Representatives who asked for raises were fired and the whole force went on strike. Coolidge called in the Nat Gaurd. The strike ended but they were all fired.

Steel Workers Strike

Steel mill workers wanted the right to a shorter work day and a living wage. They wanted union recognition and collective bargaining rights. US did not meet with the union reps so 300k workers walked. Steel owners hired strikebreakers and used propaganda to link strikers with Communism.

Coal Miners Strike

United Mine Workers of America got a new leader; JOHN L. LEWIS. To protest low wages and long workdays, Lewis called strike. Att. Gen. Palmer got a court order to put miners to work and it ended, but in defiance of court order the mines stayed closed for a month. Wilson appointed a judge to resolve and workers earned 27% pay increase.

Reasons for decrease in union membership

-much of the work was don by immigrants in poor working conditions
-hard to unionize due to language barrier
-farmers who migrated to cities did not unionize because they were used to being on their own
-most unions did not allow blacks

A Phillip Randolph

Washington naval Conference

Harding invited major world powers to a meeting and there Charles Evans Hughes urged that no more warships be built for ten years. Suggested US Britain Japan France and italy scrap many of their battleships. This was the first time world powers agreed to disarm.